History 4730
United
States, 1845-1898
Southern
|
Fall 2005 |
3 Credits |
Dr.
Earl Mulderink |
|
Office
Hours: T-R, 10-11:30; T, |
T-R,
|
mulderink@suu.edu |
|
Centrum
225 |
|
435/865-8323 |
Course Description
This upper-level course examines
Required Reading Assignments
Two books have been chosen as required reading for this course, and both are available at the SUU Bookstore. These highly-regarded books provide a detailed chronological overview of the period between 1845 and 1898. All readings are required, and you should strive to read each class assignment prior to the relevant class session. Please plan to purchase a copy of the following:
Grading and Examinations (25% Each)
This course will emphasize reading, writing, and reporting in a variety of formats. Students are expected to hand in all work by the deadlines and to follow specific guidelines for each assignment. Your class attendance is expected, and active participation is encouraged. Your grade will be computed as follows:
· First Examination 25%
· Second Examination 25%
· Critical Book Review and Oral Presentation 25%
· Critical Movie Review (highest grade) 15%
· Attendance, Participation, and Other Work 10%
The grading scale is based on the following: A, 93-100; A-, 90-92; B+, 87-89; B, 83-86; B-, 80-82; C+, 77-79; C, 73-76; C-, 70-72; D+, 67-69; D, 63-66; D-, 60-62; F, 0-59.
There will be two examinations in this course. The first examination will cover the first
half of History 4730 and is scheduled for Thursday, October 27. Basically, this exam will focus on the events
leading to Civil War and the war itself (i.e., 1845-1865). The second examination is scheduled for
Tuesday, December 13,
Your written reports and all other work submitted for this course should be typed and follow the standard rules of grammar, punctuation, and English usage. For all written assignments, try to write in your own words, but if you wish to quote from course materials, simply place all quoted material in quotation marks and add a page reference in parentheses at the end of that sentence. Try to avoid block quotes of excessive length – and do not plagiarize! Certainly, feel free to be imaginative in exploring the questions asked in this course, and ask questions if you are unclear about assignments or expectations. You are expected to submit original and independent work by all deadlines and through Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection web site. Late papers will be penalized at least one full letter grade (10 points).
Critical Book Review and Oral Presentation (25%)
You can choose one scholarly book relevant to this course for your review. Please do not submit a review that you have written for another class. In addition, you will be expected to provide a 15-minute oral presentation about the book and your review during Week 14. (The oral presentation will count about 5% of your grade; the written review will count about 20% of your grade for this assignment.) At least one week prior to your scheduled oral presentation, your completed review should be submitted electronically to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection web site. More information will be provided about Turnitin.com. Please know that my experience with this site has been very positive, and students have found it easy to use.
Your four- to six-page book review should focus on a significant, scholarly work that falls within the scope of this course, from the mid-1840s to the late-1890s. You have much freedom in selecting a work of nonfiction that interests you, subject to your instructor’s approval and advice. You are encouraged to find books that have been published recently, and you will not be allowed to submit book reviews that have been prepared for other classes. Your paper will not be accepted if the book has not been approved by your instructor.
Please note that this is a critical book review, more of an informed appraisal than a summary or report. Do not simply summarize the book. Instead, your critical book review should address the following points:
As you can see, this written paper assignment asks you to evaluate and analyze your chosen book. Try to read it as would a scholar and historian – be critical, but be fair and objective. For your oral presentation, plan to summarize the above points in a 10-minute “talk” and allow about five minutes for discussion of your chosen book and review.
Critical Movie Review (15%)
For this written assignment, you are to watch, review, and write about one movie that touches upon material in this class. You are encouraged to write about a movie viewed in class. Feel free to select a documentary movie (e.g., one episode from The Civil War, by Ken Burns) or a feature movie (e.g., The Red Badge of Courage). This assignment will also be submitted to Turnitin.com no later than Thursday, December 1. You may review more than one movie, and the highest grade of your submitted work will count toward 15% of your final grade. Please do not submit a review that you have written for another class. You are encouraged to complete these assignments at your earliest opportunity, but all reviews must be submitted no later than Thursday, December 1. Ask you instructor for assistance, particularly if you want to know more about the documentary movies available in the SUU Library’s Media Collection.
Your movie review — typed, double-spaced, and not more than three (3) pages in length — should explain and analyze the following issues in that movie:
· Title of movie?
· Theme(s) of documentary?
· Major source(s) and evidence in movie?
· Any unusual idea(s), material(s), and argument(s)?
·
Broader themes of
· “Thumbs up” or “thumbs down” conclusions?
You are encouraged to follow the outline above in preparing a written essay for your movie review. (Do not submit a paper written in outline form, but compose a coherent essay that draws upon a detailed outline.) The goal of this exercise is for you to watch carefully-chosen historical documentaries and feature films with a critical eye, and to then express your observations in a well-written, brief, and thoughtful review that addresses all the points listed above.
Other Course Matters
Plan to arrive for class in a timely manner and depart only at appropriate times. Attendance is expected for all class sessions, and if you plan to be absent, particularly in the case of serious illness, please try to inform your instructor in advance. All examinations will be offered only as scheduled, and makeup exams may be provided only at the discretion of the instructor. Any requests for makeup examinations must be made prior to the scheduled exam -- no exceptions. Finally, please see statements and disclaimers below.
Scholastic dishonesty will not be
tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood
the current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services)
regarding student responsibilities and rights, and the intellectual property
policy, for information about procedures and about what constitutes acceptable
on-campus behavior.
Students with medical,
psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments,
accommodations or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah
University Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in
Room 205C of the
Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.
When In Doubt, Ask!
If you have questions about your progress in History 4730 or remain unclear about course assignments or materials, please do not hesitate to ask. You have several ways to contact me at any time. First and most obviously, feel free to ask pertinent questions during the class periods or after classes. Or, if you wish, you can visit during my office hours in Centrum 225, or call me directly at 435/865-8323. We will find a convenient time to meet if you cannot visit during my office hours. If you call at other times and I am not available, please leave a message at the number above and I will return your call. Finally, I encourage you to communicate through email whenever possible; my email address is: mulderink@suu.edu.
|
Fall
2005 |
History 4730 Schedule |
Earl
Mulderink |
All Chapter Reading Assignments are in Ordeal by Fire (OBF)
or
Additional Documents Will Be Distributed or Accessed as Needed
Week 1 Introductions;
Read OBF, Chapter 1
8/30 (T) Introduction to History 4730: Syllabus Introductions
9/1 (R) The
Week 2 The “Peculiar Institution” of Slavery; Read OBF, Chapters
2-3
9/6 (T) Slavery in the Old South
9/8 (R) Movie: “Doing As They Can” or “Roots of Resistance”
Week 3 Stress
and Strain in the Growing Nation; Read OBF, Chapters 4-5
9/13 (T) Manifest Destiny and Mexico
9/15 (R) Newcomers and Nativism; Movie: “Five Points”
Week 4 Conflicts
Continue; Read OBF, Chapters 6-7
9/20 (T) Conflicts and Compromises
9/22 (R) Strange Case of Dred Scott
Week 5 Steps
Toward Disunion; Read OBF, Chapters 8-9
9/27 (T) Lincoln and the Rise of the Republicans
9/29 (R) The Secession Crisis
Week 6 War
Begins; Read OBF, Chapters 10-14
10/4 (T) Civil War Scorecard
10/6 (R) Movie: Excerpt from “The Civil War”
Week 7 Doldrums
and Hope; Read OBF, Chapters 15-18
10/11 (T) Business of War
10/13 (R) Emancipation and Enlistment of Black Soldiers; Movie: “The 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry”
Week 8 The
10/18 (T) Turning Points
10/20 (R) Gettysburg;
Movie: Excerpt from “The Civil War”
Midterm Examination Essay Questions Distributed
Week 9 The
10/25 (T) The
10/27 (R) Midterm
Examination
Week 10 Battles
Over Reconstruction; Read OBF, Chapters 26-29; AGA,
Chapter 7
11/1 (T) Reconstruction, I
11/3 (R) Reconstruction, II; Movie: “Dr. Toer’s Amazing Magic Lantern Show”
Week 11 Redemption and National
Reconciliation; Read OBF, Chapters 30-33; AGA, Chapter 8
11/8 (T) The Unreconstructed “New” South
11/10(R) Politics of White Supremacy
Week 12 Rise
of Big Business; Read AGA, Chapters 1-2
11/15 (T) Engines of Industrialization
11/17 (R) “Robber Barons”?; Movie: “Lions of Capitalism”
Week 13 Workers
in Industrializing America; Read AGA, Chapters 3-4
11/22 (T) Labor Pains
11/24
(R) No Class - Thanksgiving
Recess
Critical Book Reviews Submitted to Turnitin.com
Week 14 Cities
and The West in the Gilded Age; Read AGA, Chapters 5,
6, 9
11/29 (T) First Group of Oral Presentations
12/1 (R) Second Group of Oral Presentations
Final Examination
Essay Questions Distributed
Critical Movie Review
Due (Earlier Submissions Are Encouraged!)
Week 15
12/6 (T) Politics of Protest
12/8 (R) The Expanding Giant: Foreign Policy; Review
Tuesday, December 13, Final
Exam,
Be
sure to visit Ordeal by Fire’s
companion web site at
http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/history/usa/mcpherson/